With Burja at the “Imam ideju” Organization in Kraljevo: Exchange of Best Practices and Methodologies in Creative Writing
As part of the mobility projects within our Erasmus+ accreditation for adult education, we visited the “Imam ideju” organization in Kraljevo, one of the most engaged civil society organizations in this part of Serbia. Their mission is based on promoting peace, multiculturalism, tolerance, critical thinking, and sharing pro-European values.
The organization is led by one of the most prominent contemporary Serbian authors, Dejan Aleksić, a recipient of numerous awards, including the 2022 Serbian Novel of the Year Award for his book “Petlja”. His literary works are part of the compulsory curriculum in Serbian elementary schools, and he personally participates in literary festivals across Europe and lectures at the prestigious Sorbonne University in Paris.
One of the main activities of the “Imam ideju” organization is promoting Serbia’s rich cultural heritage through creative writing. To achieve this, they organize creative writing workshops that bring together various writers, scholars, and literature enthusiasts. During our visit, we participated in in-depth discussions and workshops dedicated to exchanging methodologies and best practices in this field.
The focus was on how to encourage adults to start creating again and develop their creative literary expression. A key finding was that adult education requires continuous encouragement and gradual confidence-building in self-expression. Participants in creative writing workshops often need guidance in shaping language, form, and style, while experimentation and independent expression should be encouraged.
We exchanged methods and approaches for conducting literary workshops with the organization’s leadership and colleagues. Special attention was given to how multilingual participants use different languages in creative writing. We observed that switching between languages leads to changes in writing tone and perspective, as each language embodies a specific cultural framework. This can result in richer and more diverse literary expressions.
We also developed the foundation of a special educational program for groups of adult participants, which we plan to implement in the future. The emphasis was on creating structured yet flexible workshops that would allow participants to express themselves through creative writing in a way that suits them best. Most importantly, we aim to inspire them with the rich cultural heritage offered by their local environment.
Participating in these mobility projects enabled us to gain a deeper understanding of pedagogical approaches specifically aimed at motivating less-involved adult learners. We learned new techniques to increase engagement, such as creative tasks, interactive methods, and adapting learning content based on participants’ needs.
The visit to “Imam ideju” was an excellent opportunity to deepen our understanding of creative writing as a tool for personal and professional development. The focus on multilingualism, cultural heritage, individual expression, and experimentation with form and style is crucial in creating an inclusive learning environment. We will incorporate the acquired experiences and methods into our future work and adult education programs in creative writing and publishing, as we strongly believe that creative writing can serve as a powerful tool for strengthening critical thinking and personal expression.
